Mark Lanter

Mark Lanter, musician, drummist, vocalist, educator, author, producer, and wilderness enthusiast, has been a working musician since age 14, with a steady schedule of touring, recording, and teaching. In addition to his work with the Black Jacket Symphony, which performs covers of iconic albums, Henri's Notions and other bands and projects, Mark teaches private lessons out of his Birmingham, Alabama studio, as well as jazz studies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and his own hybrid Music Appreciation class with an emphasis on The Beatles, American Music, and Jazz Appreciation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His most recent project as producer and drummer is titled Big Band Of Brothers, a tribute to the Allman Brothers. Over the years, Mark has played or recorded with an incredible number of notable musicians, including Mose Allison, Michael Hedges, and legendary jazz guitarist Mundel Lowe to name just a few. Mark is a regular performer-in-residence at the W.C. Handy Blues and Jazz festival and teaches the Handy Jazz Camp. Mark talks about his path to the drums, his career, his approach to the kit, the importance of getting his "10,000 hours," and the hard-to-define concept of "swinging the band."